Uplink channel transmission in dual connectivity

ABSTRACT

Technology for dual connectivity is disclosed. A user equipment (UE) can identify a first physical channel that includes a first uplink control information (UCI) and a second physical channel that includes a second UCI. The UE can select a priority level for the first physical channel and a priority level for the second physical channel. The UE can apply power scaling to a first physical channel transmission or a second physical channel transmission if a total transmit power of the UE would exceed a specific value during a period of time. The UE can scale a transmit power for the second physical channel if the priority level for the first physical channel is higher than the priority level for the second physical channel depending on a type of first UCI and a type of second UCI.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/254,932 filed Sep. 1, 2016 with a docket number of P64442US,which is a 371 Nationalization of PCT/US2015/020735 filed Mar. 16, 2015with a docket number of P64442PCT, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/953,637, filed Mar. 14, 2014 witha docket number of P64442Z, the entire specifications of which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards andprotocols to transmit data between a node (e.g., a transmission station)and a wireless device (e.g., a mobile device). Some wireless devicescommunicate using orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA)in a downlink (DL) transmission and single carrier frequency divisionmultiple access (SC-FDMA) in an uplink (UL) transmission. Standards andprotocols that use orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) forsignal transmission include the third generation partnership project(3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), the Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard (e.g., 802.16e, 802.16m),which is commonly known to industry groups as WiMAX (Worldwideinteroperability for Microwave Access), and the IEEE 802.11 standard,which is commonly known to industry groups as WiFi.

In 3GPP radio access network (RAN) LTE systems, the node can be acombination of Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network(E-UTRAN) Node Bs (also commonly denoted as evolved Node Bs, enhancedNode Bs, eNodeBs, or eNBs) and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs), whichcommunicates with the wireless device, known as a user equipment (UE).The downlink (DL) transmission can be a communication from the node(e.g., eNodeB) to the wireless device (e.g., UE), and the uplink (UL)transmission can be a communication from the wireless device to thenode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from thedetailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example,features of the disclosure; and, wherein:

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate dual connectivity architectures in accordancewith an example;

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate parallel transmissions of a first physical uplinkcontrol channel (PUCCH) and a second PUCCH from a user equipment (UE)that operates in dual connectivity in accordance with an example;

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate parallel transmissions of a physical randomaccess channel (PRACH) and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)from a user equipment (UE) that operates in dual connectivity inaccordance with an example;

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate parallel transmissions of a physical uplinkcontrol channel (PUCCH) and a physical random access channel (PRACH)from a user equipment (UE) that operates in dual connectivity inaccordance with an example;

FIG. 5 depicts functionality of a user equipment (UE) configured fordual connectivity in accordance with an example;

FIG. 6 depicts functionality of a user equipment (UE) configured fordual connectivity in accordance with an example;

FIG. 7 depicts functionality of a user equipment (UE) configured fordual connectivity in accordance with an example;

FIG. 8 depicts functionality of a user equipment (UE) configured fordual connectivity in accordance with an example; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a diagram of a wireless device (e.g., UE) inaccordance with an example.

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, andspecific language will be used herein to describe the same. It willnevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to beunderstood that this invention is not limited to the particularstructures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but isextended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by thoseordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understoodthat terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describingparticular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. The samereference numerals in different drawings represent the same element.Numbers provided in flow charts and processes are provided for clarityin illustrating steps and operations and do not necessarily indicate aparticular order or sequence.

Example Embodiments

An initial overview of technology embodiments is provided below and thenspecific technology embodiments are described in further detail later.This initial summary is intended to aid readers in understanding thetechnology more quickly but is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the technology nor is it intended to limit thescope of the claimed subject matter.

In 3GPP LTE Release 12.0, user equipments (UEs) can connect to more thanone cell site simultaneously in a dual connectivity system. For example,the UE can connect to a master evolved node B (MeNB) and at least onesecondary evolved node B (SeNB) simultaneously. When the UE connects totwo cells, the UE can receive data bearers from both cells atsubstantially the same time. Dual connectivity can improve cell edgethroughput, average sector throughput, and load balance between cells.

Technology is described for performing uplink channel transmissions at auser equipment (UE) configured for dual connectivity. The UE cantransmit multiple channels in the same subframe, even when the UE ispower limited. In other words, the UE can transmit the multiple channelsin the same subframe while adhering to power limitations at the UE. Inone example, the UE can transmit a first physical uplink control channel(PUCCH) for a primary cell (PCell) of a master cell group (MCG) and asecond PUCCH for a special cell of a secondary cell group (SCG) in thesame subframe. In another example, the UE can transmit a physical randomaccess channel (PRACH) for the PCell or a secondary cell (SCell) of theMCG and a PUCCH for the special cell of the SCG in the same subframe. Inyet another example, the UE can transmit a PUCCH for the PCell of theMCG and a PRACH for a special cell and/or the SCell of the SCG in thesame subframe. If a total transmission power required to transmit thevarious channels in the same subframe would exceed a maximumtransmission power (Pcmax), the UE can scale down or reduce atransmission power associated with one or more of the channels, suchthat the total transmission power is less than the maximum transmissionpower Pcmax in any overlapped portion.

In one configuration, the UE can scale down or reduce the transmit powerbased on a priority scheme in order to comply with the maximumtransmission power. If the multiple channels (e.g., the two PUCCHs) havean equal priority level according to the priority scheme, then thetransmit power for each of the multiple channels can be scaled downequally (i.e., equal power scaling is performed on each channel). Inanother example, the multiple channels can have an unequal prioritylevel according to the priority scheme. In this case, the transmissionpower for the lower priority channel can be scaled down and thetransmission power for the higher priority channel can remain unchanged(i.e., unequal or different weighted power scaling is performed on eachchannel). In yet another example, a channel that has a lower prioritylevel as compared to another parallel channel according to the priorityscheme can be dropped altogether. In this case, the channel with thelower priority level is not transmitted from the UE.

In dual connectivity, multiple channels can be transmitted substantiallysimultaneously from the UE. For example, the multiple channels can betransmitted in a same subframe or in a partial portion in time of thesame subframe. The UE can perform multiple physical uplink controlchannel (PUCCH) transmissions in a simultaneous manner in a dualconnectivity scenario. The PUCCH can refer to a PUCCH and a physicaluplink shared channel (PUSCH) with uplink control information (UCI). Inone example, the UE can transmit a first PUCCH to a primary cell (PCell)of a master cell group (MCG) and a second PUCCH to a special secondarycell (SCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) in the same subframe or ina partial portion in time. In other words, the first PUCCH and thesecond PUCCH can be simultaneously transmitted from the UE (i.e., bothPUCCHs are transmitted in the same subframe). In another example, the UEcan transmit a physical random access channel (PRACH) to the PCelland/or the SCell of the MCG and a PUCCH to a special SCell in the samesubframe. In other words, the PRACH and the PUCCH can be simultaneouslytransmitted from the UE. The simultaneous transmission from the UEbetween the two different cells can occur in substantially all singlecarrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) or some portions oftime duration within the subframe.

Although parallel transmissions from the UE in dual connectivity arefeasible when the UE is not power limited (i.e., when the UE is notsubject to power restrictions), the parallel transmissions can beproblematic when the UE is power-limited. In other words, paralleltransmissions may not always be feasible when the UE is restricted inthe amount of transmission power that can be used. In one example, theamount of power required for transmitting both channels in the samesubframe from the UE (as opposed to transmitting the two channels insuccessive subframes) can exceed a defined threshold. Therefore, thepresent technology described below defines a set of rules to beimplemented at the UE when the UE operates in dual connectivity and ispower limited. These rules describe techniques for transmitting themultiple channels in the same subframe without exceeding a maximumtransmission power configured for a given UE. 3GPP TechnicalSpecification (TS) 36.213 Section 5.1 provides details on legacy powercontrol rules that can be applied to each serving cell, wherein thelegacy power control rules can be applied at the UE prior to the definedset of rules described in the present technology being implemented atthe UE.

In one configuration, a user equipment (UE) configured for dualconnectivity can identify a first physical channel that includes a firstuplink control information (UCI) and a second physical channel thatincludes a second UCI. The UE can apply power scaling to either a firstphysical channel transmission or a second physical channel transmissionwhen a total transmission power of the UE would exceed a defined powervalue, such as a maximum transmit power (P_(CMAX)). The UE can scaledown a transmission power for the second physical channel if a prioritylevel for the first physical channel is higher than a priority for thesecond physical channel based on a type of first UCI and a type ofsecond UCI. Alternatively, the UE can scale down a transmission powerfor the first physical channel if the priority level for the firstphysical channel is lower than the priority level for the secondphysical channel depending on the type of first UCI and the type ofsecond UCI. In other words, when the two channels have differentpriority levels and the UE is power limited, only a less prioritizedchannel can be scaled down to avoid exceeding the defined power value.In addition, the first physical channel can include a Physical UplinkControl Channel (PUCCH) or a first Physical Uplink Shared Channel(PUSCH), and the second physical channel can include a PUCCH or a PUSCH.

In one example, the UE can perform the first physical channeltransmission in uplink for a serving cell belonging to a Master CellGroup (MCG) and the second physical channel transmission in uplink for aserving cell belonging to a Secondary Cell Group (SCG).

In one configuration, the first physical channel to the MCG can have ahigher priority than the second physical channel to the SCG when thefirst UCI includes a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement(HARQ-ACK) or a scheduling request (SR) and the second UCI includeschannel state information (CSI). In another configuration, the firstphysical channel to the MCG can have a lower priority than the secondphysical channel to the SCG when the first UCI includes CSI and thesecond UCI includes HARQ-ACK or SR.

In one example, the first UCI and the second UCI can both includeHARQ-ACK, or the first UCI and the second UCI can both include SR, orthe first UCI and the second UCI can both include CSI. In each of thesescenarios, the MCG has a higher priority. In other words, the firstphysical channel containing the first UCI to the MCG can have a higherpriority than the second physical channel containing the second UCI tothe SCG.

In one example, the first UCI can include HARQ-ACK and the second UCIcan include SR, or alternatively, the first UCI can include SR and thesecond UCI can include HARQ-ACK. In either scenario, the first physicalchannel can have a higher priority than the second physical channel.

In one configuration, the UE configured for dual connectivity canidentify a physical random access channel (PRACH) of a MCG or a SCG. TheUE can identify a PUCCH of a SCG or a MCG The UE can determine that apriority level for the PRACH is higher than a priority order for thePUCCH. Therefore, the UE can apply power scaling to PUCCH transmissionsso that a total transmission power of the UE does not exceed a definedpower value, such as a maximum transmission power (P_(CMAX)). In oneexample, the PRACH can be prioritized higher than the PUCCH when thePRACH and PUCCH are both to be transmitted from the UE. The PRACH maynot be scaled down while the PUCCH can be scaled down. The PRACH can beprioritized higher irrespective of whether the PRACH is for the MCG orthe SCG.

FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary dual connectivity architecture for amaster evolved node B (MeNB) and a secondary evolved node B (SeNB). AnS1-U can be terminated at the SeNB, and both the SeNB and the MeNB caninclude independent packet data convergence protocols (PDCPs), i.e., nobearer split. The MeNB and the SeNB can be connected to an EvolvedPacket Core (EPC) via an S1 interface. For example, the MeNB and theSeNB can be connected to a serving gateway (S-GW) or mobility managemententity (MME) via the S1 interface. The MeNB can include a PDCP layer, aradio link control (RLC) layer and a media access channel (MAC) layer.In addition, the SeNB can include a separate PDCP layer, RLC layer andMAC layer. The PDCP layer in the MeNB can receive data or controlinformation from higher layers, and the PDCP layer in the SeNB canreceive data or control information from higher layers.

FIG. 1B illustrates another exemplary dual connectivity architecture fora master evolved node B (MeNB) and a secondary evolved node B (SeNB).The S1-U can be terminated at the MeNB and the bearer split can occur atthe MeNB. In addition, an independent radio link control (RLC) can bepresent at the SeNB. The MeNB can be connected to an Evolved Packet Core(EPC) via an S1 interface. For example, the MeNB can be connected to aserving gateway (S-GW) or mobility management entity (MME) via the S1interface. The MeNB can include a PDCP layer, an RLC layer and a mediaaccess channel (MAC) layer. The SeNB can include an RLC layer and a MAClayer. The PDCP layer in the MeNB can receive data and/or controlinformation from higher layers. In one example, the data or controlinformation can be communicated from the PDCP layer in the MeNB to theRLC and MAC layers in the MeNB. In addition, the data or controlinformation can be communicated, from the PDCP layer in the MeNB, to theRLC layer in the SeNB via an X2 interface.

In dual connectivity, the UE can utilize multiple receivers (Rx) andtransmitters (Tx) when operating in radio resource control (RRC)connected mode. The UE can be configured to utilize radio resourcesprovided by two distinct schedulers that are located in the MeNB and theSeNB. Dual connectivity introduces various functions and procedures torealize control plane and user plane protocols that support thearchitectures described above. In one example, the master cell group(MCG) can refer to a group of serving cells associated with the MeNB,and the secondary cell group (SCG) can refer to a group of serving cellsassociated with the SeNB.

FIG. 2A illustrates a parallel transmission of a first physical uplinkcontrol channel (PUCCH) 212 and a second PUCCH 214 from a user equipment(UE) 210 that operates in dual connectivity. The UE 210 can transmit thefirst PUCCH 212 to a primary cell (PCell) 220 of a master cell group(MCG). The UE 210 can transmit the second PUCCH 214 to a special cell230 of a secondary cell group (SCG). The special cell 230 can beselected from a group of cells in the SCG. In one example, the UE 210can transmit both the first PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 to thePCell 220 and the special cell 230, respectively, in the same subframe.

In one example, a total transmission power for transmitting both thefirst PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 in the same subframe can belarger than a maximum transmission power (Pcmax) configured for a givenUE. The maximum transmission power can define a limit on the amount ofpower the UE 210 can use in a given subframe. When the UE 210 transmitsmultiple channels in the same subframe, the UE 210 can lower the totaltransmission power to be below the maximum transmission power. The UE210 can lower the total transmission power by performing power scaling.In other words, the UE 210 can use power scaling to reduce a transmitpower associated with transmitting the first PUCCH 212 and/or the secondPUCCH 214, such that the total transmission power for transmitting boththe first PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 is below the maximumtransmission power.

In one configuration, the UE 210 can implement an equal power scalingfor the first PUCCH 212 and the second PUUCH 214. In other words, themultiple PUCCHs have an equal priority level, and therefore, are scaleddown equally and then transmitted in the same subframe. The first PUCCH212 and the second PUCCH 214 can have the equal priority level inaccordance with a priority scheme implemented at the UE 210. As anon-limiting example, the UE 210 can reduce the transmit power of thefirst PUCCH 212 by 10%. In addition, the UE 210 can reduce the transmitpower of the second PUCCH 214 by 10%. When the equal power scaling ofthe two PUCCHs results in the total transmission power being less thanthe maximum transmission power (Pcmax), the UE 210 can transmit both thefirst PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 (each with a 10% reduction intransmit power) in the same subframe. In another example, the firstPUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 can each be scaled down to 80% of anoriginal value, but a final power for each PUCCH after scaling can bedifferent with respect to each other. In this configuration, both thefirst PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 are regarded as having the samepriority level based on the priority scheme implemented at the UE 210.The power scaling can be applied for subframes containing the PUCCHs oronly for overlapped portions (e.g., overlapped symbols) in thesubframes. Therefore, even when the UE 210 is power limited, the UE 210can simultaneously transmit the two PUCCHs (i.e., in the same subframe)by utilizing power scaling.

FIG. 2B illustrates a parallel transmission of a first physical uplinkcontrol channel (PUCCH) 212 and a second PUCCH 214 from a user equipment(UE) 210 that operates in dual connectivity. The first PUCCH 212 can betransmitted to a PCell 220 and the second PUCCH 214 can be transmittedto a special cell 220. The UE 210 can implement an unequal power scalingfor the first PUCCH 212 and the second PUUCH 214. In other words, themultiple PUCCHs have an unequal priority level, and therefore, arescaled down unequally and then transmitted in the same subframe. In thisconfiguration, a weighted power scaling technique with different weightscan be applied to the various PUCCHs that are transmitted from the UE210. The UE 210 can apply the unequal power scaling, such that a totaltransmission power for simultaneously transmitting both the first PUCCH212 and the second PUCCH 214 in the same subframe is less than a maximumtransmission power (Pcmax) allowed for the UE 210 for a given subframe.

In one configuration, when the first PUCCH 212 has a higher priority ascompared to the second PUCCH 214, the first PUCCH 212 is not scaled downwhile the second PUCCH 214 can be scaled down such that the totaltransmission power for transmitting both the first PUCCH 212 and thesecond PUCCH 214 is less than the maximum transmission power (Pcmax).Similarly, when the second PUCCH 214 has a higher priority as comparedto the first PUCCH 212, the second PUCCH 214 is not scaled down whilethe first PUCCH 212 can be scaled down such that the total transmissionpower for transmitting both the first PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214is less than the maximum transmission power (Pcmax).

The first PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 can have the unequalpriority level in accordance with a priority scheme implemented at theUE 210. As a non-limiting example, the UE 210 can reduce the transmitpower of the first PUCCH 212 by 15% and not reduce the transmit power ofthe second PUCCH 214. When the unequal power scaling of the two PUCCHsresults in the total transmission power being less than the maximumtransmission power (Pcmax), the UE 210 can transmit both the first PUCCH212 and the second PUCCH 214 in the same subframe. In thisconfiguration, the first PUCCH 212 and the second PUCCH 214 are regardedas not having the same priority level based on the priority schemeimplemented at the UE 210. Since the transmit power for the first PUCCH212 is reduced by 15% and the transmit power for the second PUCCH 214 isnot reduced, the first PUCCH 212 has a higher priority level than thesecond PUCCH 214. In other words, a higher priority level does notresult in a reduction in transmit power. The power scaling can beapplied for subframes containing the PUCCHs or only for overlappedportions (e.g., overlapped symbols) in the subframes. Therefore, evenwhen the UE 210 is power limited, the UE 210 can simultaneously transmitthe two PUCCHs (i.e., in the same subframe) by utilizing power scaling.

As described above, different weighted power scaling can be applied todifferent PUCCHs that are transmitted from the UE 210. In one example, afirst PUCCH 212 containing a scheduling request (SR) or a hybridautomatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) can have a higherpriority level than a second PUCCH 214 containing channel stateinformation (CSI). In this example, a transmit power for the secondPUCCH 214 containing the CSI can be scaled down, whereas a transmitpower for the first PUCCH 212 containing the SR or HARQ-ACK may not bescaled down.

In one example, the priority levels for each of the channels can bedetermined based on a cell index. The priority level for each servingcell can be configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. A cellindex with a lower value can be more prioritized than a cell index witha higher value. As a non-limiting example, if a cell index for the firstPUCCH 212 of the MCG is 0 and a cell index for the second PUCCH 214 ofthe SCG is 2, then the first PUCCH 212 of the MCG is more prioritizedthan the second PUCCH 214 of the SCG. Therefore, a transmit power forthe second PUCCH 214 can be scaled down, whereas a transmit power forthe first PUCCH 212 may not be scaled down.

In one example, the priority levels for each of the channels can bedetermined based on a cell group. Since a signaling radio bearer (SRB)is transmitted via the MCG in dual connectivity, the first PUCCH 212 ofthe MCG can be more prioritized than the second PUCCH 214 of the SCG. Inanother example, the priority levels for each of the channels can bedetermined based on a quality of service (QoS) of a physical downlinkshared channel (PDSCH) for each serving cell or cell group. In yetanother example, the priority levels for each of the channels can bedetermined based on a service type of the PDSCH, such as voice overinternet protocol (VoIP) or semi persistent scheduling (SPS).

FIG. 2C illustrates a transmission of either a first physical uplinkcontrol channel (PUCCH) 212 or a second PUCCH 214 from a user equipment(UE) 210 that operates in dual connectivity. The first PUCCH 212 can betransmitted to a PCell 220 or the second PUCCH 214 can be transmitted toa special cell 230. The multiple PUCCHs can have an unequal prioritylevel, and the PUCCH with a lower priority level can be dropped and thePUCCH with a higher priority level can be transmitted from the UE 210.The priority levels for each of the channels can be determined based ona priority scheme implemented at the UE 210. In the example shown inFIG. 2C, the first PUCCH 212 can have a lower priority level than thesecond PUCCH 214 based on the priority scheme. Therefore, the firstPUCCH 212 can be dropped and only the second PUCCH 214 can betransmitted to the special cell 230. Therefore, when the UE 210 is powerlimited, the UE 210 can ensure that transmission of the channel complieswith a maximum transmission power for a given subframe by dropping thechannel with the lower priority level.

In one configuration, legacy power control rules can be applied, asfurther defined in 3GPP TS 36.213 Section 5.1. After the legacy powercontrol rules are applied, a total transmit power can be adjusted to notexceed the maximum transmission power (Pcmax) on an overlapped portionof a given subframe. This technique can also be applicable to otherphysical channel combinations, such as the physical uplink sharedchannel (PUSCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), soundingreference signal (SRS), physical random access channel (PRACH), etc. Inthis configuration, the legacy power control rules can be applied foreach cell group and the total transmit power is adjusted to not exceedPcmax on any overlapped portion. For cells within the SCG the legacypower control rules can be applied by replacing a primary cell with aspecial SCell.

This configuration can be applied to PUCCHs having the same prioritylevel. For instance, when the first PUCCH 212 of the MCG carries theHARQ-ACK or SR and the second PUCCH 214 of the SCG carries the CSI(i.e., which are carried with different priorities), the second PUCCH214 of the SCG is dropped and the first PUCCH 212 of the MCG istransmitted. After that, the UE 210 can adjust the total transmit powerto not exceed Pcmax on any overlapped portion. When the PUCCHs of theMCG and the SCG carries CSIs (i.e., which are carried with the samepriorities), the UE 210 can just adjust the total transmit power to notexceed Pcmax on any overlapped portion.

FIG. 3A illustrates a parallel transmission of a physical random accesschannel (PRACH) 312 and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) 314from a user equipment (UE) 310 that operates in dual connectivity. TheUE 310 can transmit the PRACH 312 to a primary cell (PCell) or asecondary cell (SCell) 320 of a master cell group (MCG). The UE 310 cantransmit the PUCCH 314 to a special cell 330 of a secondary cell group(SCG). The special cell 330 can be selected from a group of cells in theSCG. In one example, the UE 310 can transmit both the PRACH 312 and thePUCCH 314 to the PCell or SCell 320 and the special cell 330,respectively, in the same subframe.

In one example, a total transmission power for transmitting both thePRACH 312 and the PUCCH 314 in the same subframe can be larger than amaximum transmission power (Pcmax). The maximum transmission power candefine a limit on the amount of power the UE 310 can use in a givensubframe. When the UE 310 transmits multiple channels in the samesubframe, the UE 310 can lower the total transmission power to be belowthe maximum transmission power. The UE 310 can lower the totaltransmission power by performing power scaling. In other words, the UE310 can use power scaling to reduce a transmit power associated withtransmitting the PRACH 312 or the PUCCH 314, such that the totaltransmission power for transmitting both the PRACH 312 and the PUCCH 314is below the maximum transmission power.

In one configuration, the UE 310 can implement an equal power scalingfor the PRACH 312 and the PUUCH 314. In other words, the multiplechannels have an equal priority level, and therefore, are scaled downequally and then transmitted in the same subframe. The PRACH 312 and thePUCCH 314 can have the equal priority level in accordance with apriority scheme implemented at the UE 310. As a non-limiting example,the UE 310 can reduce the transmit power of the PRACH 312 by 20%. Inaddition, the UE 310 can reduce the transmit power of the PUCCH 314 by20%. When the equal power scaling of the PRACH and PUCCH results in thetotal transmission power being less than the maximum transmission power(Pcmax), the UE 310 can transmit both the PRACH 312 and the PUCCH 314(each with a 20% reduction in transmit power) in the same subframe. Inthis configuration, both the PRACH 312 and the PUCCH 314 are regarded ashaving the same priority level based on the priority scheme implementedat the UE 310. The power scaling can be applied for subframes containingthe PRACH and PUCCH or only for overlapped portions (e.g., overlappedsymbols) in the subframes. Therefore, even when the UE 310 is powerlimited, the UE 310 can simultaneously transmit the PRACH and PUCCH(i.e., in the same subframe) by utilizing power scaling.

FIG. 3B illustrates a parallel transmission of a physical random accesschannel (PRACH) 312 and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) 314from a user equipment (UE) 310 that operates in dual connectivity. ThePRACH 312 can be transmitted to a PCell or SCell 320 and the PUCCH 314can be transmitted to a special cell 330. The UE 310 can implement anunequal power scaling for the PRACH 312 and the PUUCH 314. In otherwords, the multiple channels have an unequal priority level, andtherefore, are scaled down unequally and then transmitted in the samesubframe. In this configuration, a weighted power scaling technique withdifferent weights can be applied to the various channels that aretransmitted from the UE 310. The UE 310 can apply the unequal powerscaling, such that a total transmission power for simultaneouslytransmitting both the PRACH 312 and the PUCCH 314 in the same subframeis less than a maximum transmission power (Pcmax) allowed for the UE 310for a given subframe.

In one configuration, the PRACH 312 has a higher priority as compared tothe PUCCH 314. Therefore, the PRACH 312 is not scaled down while thePUCCH 314 can be scaled down such that the total transmission power fortransmitting both the PRACH 312 and the PUCCH 314 is less than themaximum transmission power (Pcmax).

The PRACH 312 and the PUCCH 314 can have the unequal priority level inaccordance with a priority scheme implemented at the UE 310. As anon-limiting example, the UE 310 can reduce the transmit power of thePUCCH 314 by 25%, whereas the UE 310 does not reduce the transmit powerof the PRACH 312. When the unequal power scaling of the two channelsresults in the total transmission power being less than the maximumtransmission power (Pcmax), the UE 310 can transmit both the PRACH 312and the PUCCH 314 in the same subframe. In this configuration, the PRACH312 and the PUCCH 314 are regarded as not having the same priority levelbased on the priority scheme implemented at the UE 310. Since thetransmit power for the PRACH 312 is not reduced and the transmit powerfor the PUCCH 314 is reduced by 25%, the PRACH 312 has a higher prioritylevel than the PUCCH 314. In other words, a lower priority levelcorresponds to a reduction in transmit power. The power scaling can beapplied for subframes containing the channels or only for overlappedportions (e.g., overlapped symbols) in the subframes. Therefore, evenwhen the UE 310 is power limited, the UE 310 can simultaneously transmitthe two channels (i.e., in the same subframe) by utilizing powerscaling.

As described above, different weighted power scaling can be applied todifferent channels that are transmitted from the UE 310. In one example,a PRACH 312 containing a scheduling request (SR) or a hybrid automaticrepeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) can have a higher prioritylevel than a PUCCH 314 containing channel state information (CSI). Inthis example, a transmit power for the PUCCH 314 containing the CSI canbe scaled down, whereas a transmit power for the PRACH 312 containingthe SR or HARQ-ACK may not be scaled down.

In one example, the priority levels for each of the channels can bedetermined based on a cell index. The priority level for each servingcell can be configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. A cellindex with a lower value can be more prioritized than a cell index witha higher value. As a non-limiting example, if a cell index for the PRACH312 of the MCG is 1 and a cell index for the PUCCH 314 of the SCG is 3,then the PRACH 312 of the MCG is more prioritized than the PUCCH 314 ofthe SCG. Therefore, a transmit power for the PUCCH 314 can be scaleddown, whereas a transmit power for the PRACH 312 is not scaled down.

In one example, the priority levels for each of the channels can bedetermined based on a cell group. Since a signaling radio bearer (SRB)is transmitted via the MCG in dual connectivity, the PRACH 312 of theMCG can be more prioritized than the PUCCH 314 of the SCG. In anotherexample, the priority levels for each of the channels can be determinedbased on a quality of service (QoS) of a physical downlink sharedchannel (PDSCH) for each serving cell or cell group. In yet anotherexample, the priority levels for each of the channels can be determinedbased on a service type of the PDSCH, such as voice over internetprotocol (VoIP) or semi persistent scheduling (SPS).

FIG. 3C illustrates a transmission of either a physical random accesscontrol channel (PRACH) 312 or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)314 from a user equipment (UE) 310 that operates in dual connectivity.The PRACH 312 can be transmitted to a PCell or SCell 320 or the PUCCH314 can be transmitted to a special cell 330. The multiple channels canhave an unequal priority level, and the channel with a lower prioritylevel can be dropped and the channel with a higher priority level can betransmitted from the UE 310. The priority levels for each of thechannels can be determined based on a priority scheme implemented at theUE 310. In the example shown in FIG. 3C, the PRACH 312 can have a higherpriority level than the PUCCH 314 based on the priority scheme.Therefore, the PUCCH 314 can be dropped and only the PRACH 312 can betransmitted to the PCell or SCell 320. Therefore, when the UE 310 ispower limited, the UE 310 can ensure that transmission of the channelcomplies with a maximum transmission power for a given subframe bydropping the channel with the lower priority level.

FIG. 4A illustrates a parallel transmission of a physical uplink controlchannel (PUCCH) 412 and a physical random access channel (PRACH) 414from a user equipment (UE) 310 that operates in dual connectivity. TheUE 410 can transmit the PUCCH 412 to a primary cell (PCell) 420 of amaster cell group (MCG). The UE 410 can transmit the PRACH 414 to aspecial cell or SCell 430 of a secondary cell group (SCG). The specialcell can be selected from a group of cells in the SCG. In one example,the UE 410 can transmit both the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414 to thePCell 420 and the special cell or SCell 430, respectively, in the samesubframe.

In one example, a total transmission power for transmitting both thePUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414 in the same subframe can be larger than amaximum transmission power (Pcmax). The maximum transmission power candefine a limit on the amount of power the UE 410 can use in a givensubframe. When the UE 410 transmits multiple channels in the samesubframe, the UE 410 can lower the total transmission power to be belowthe maximum transmission power. The UE 410 can lower the totaltransmission power by performing power scaling. In other words, the UE410 can use power scaling to reduce a transmit power associated withtransmitting the PUCCH 412 or the PRACH 414, such that the totaltransmission power for transmitting both the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414is below the maximum transmission power.

In one configuration, the UE 410 can implement an equal power scalingfor the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414. In other words, the multiplechannels have an equal priority level, and therefore, are scaled downequally and then transmitted in the same subframe. The PUCCH 412 and thePRACH 414 can have the equal priority level in accordance with apriority scheme implemented at the UE 410. As a non-limiting example,the UE 410 can reduce the transmit power of the PUCCH 412 by 15%. Inaddition, the UE 410 can reduce the transmit power of the PRACH 414 by15%. When the equal power scaling of the PUCCH and PRACH results in thetotal transmission power being less than the maximum transmission power(Pcmax), the UE 410 can transmit both the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414(each with a 15% reduction in transmit power) in the same subframe. Inthis configuration, both the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414 are regarded ashaving the same priority level based on the priority scheme implementedat the UE 410. The power scaling can be applied for subframes containingthe PUCCH and PRACH or only for overlapped portions (e.g., overlappedsymbols) in the subframes. Therefore, even when the UE 410 is powerlimited, the UE 410 can simultaneously transmit the PUCCH and PRACH(i.e., in the same subframe) by utilizing power scaling.

FIG. 4B illustrates a parallel transmission of a physical uplink controlchannel (PUCCH) 412 and a physical random access channel (PRACH) 414from a user equipment (UE) 410 that operates in dual connectivity. ThePUCCH 412 can be transmitted to a PCell 420 and the PRACH 414 can betransmitted to a special cell or SCell 430. The UE 410 can implement anunequal power scaling for the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414. In otherwords, the multiple channels have an unequal priority level, andtherefore, are scaled down unequally and then transmitted in the samesubframe. In this configuration, a weighted power scaling technique withdifferent weights can be applied to the various channels that aretransmitted from the UE 410. The UE 410 can apply the unequal powerscaling, such that a total transmission power for simultaneouslytransmitting both the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH 414 in the same subframeis less than a maximum transmission power (Pcmax) allowed for the UE 410for a given subframe.

In one configuration, the PRACH 414 has a higher priority as compared tothe PUCCH 412. Therefore, the PRACH 414 is not scaled down while thePUCCH 412 can be scaled down such that the total transmission power fortransmitting both the PRACH 414 and the PUCCH 412 is less than themaximum transmission power (Pcmax).

The PUCCH 412 and the PUCCH 414 can have the unequal priority level inaccordance with a priority scheme implemented at the UE 410. As anon-limiting example, the UE 410 can reduce the transmit power of thePUCCH 412 by 30%, whereas the transmit power of the PRACH 414 is notreduced. When the unequal power scaling of the two channels results inthe total transmission power being less than the maximum transmissionpower (Pcmax), the UE 410 can transmit both the PUCCH 412 and the PRACH414 in the same subframe. In this configuration, the PUCCH 412 and thePRACH 414 are regarded as not having the same priority level based onthe priority scheme implemented at the UE 410. Since the transmit powerfor the PUCCH 412 is reduced by 30% while the transmit power for thePRACH 414 is not reduced, the PUCCH 414 has a lower priority level thanthe PRACH 412. In other words, a lower priority level corresponds to areduction in transmit power. The power scaling can be applied forsubframes containing the channels or only for overlapped portions (e.g.,overlapped symbols) in the subframes. Therefore, even when the UE 410 ispower limited, the UE 410 can simultaneously transmit the two channels(i.e., in the same subframe) by utilizing power scaling.

FIG. 4C illustrates a transmission of either a physical uplink controlchannel (PUCCH) 412 or a physical random access control channel (PRACH)414 from a user equipment (UE) 410 that operates in dual connectivity.The PUCCH 412 can be transmitted to a PCell 420 or the PRACH 414 can betransmitted to a special cell or SCell 430. The multiple channels canhave an unequal priority level, and the channel with a lower prioritylevel can be dropped and the channel with a higher priority level can betransmitted from the UE 410. The priority levels for each of thechannels can be determined based on a priority scheme implemented at theUE 410. In the example shown in FIG. 4C, the PRACH 414 can have a higherpriority level than the PUCCH 412 based on the priority scheme.Therefore, the PUCCH 412 can be dropped and only the PRACH 414 can betransmitted to the PCell 420. Therefore, when the UE 410 is powerlimited, the UE 410 can ensure that transmission of the channel complieswith a maximum transmission power for a given subframe by dropping thechannel with the lower priority level.

Another example provides functionality 500 of a user equipment (UE)configured for dual connectivity, as shown in the flow chart in FIG. 5.The functionality can be implemented as a method or the functionalitycan be executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions areincluded on at least one computer readable medium or one non-transitorymachine readable storage medium. One or more processors of the UE can beconfigured to identify a first physical channel that includes a firstuplink control information (UCI), as in block 510. The one or moreprocessors can be configured to identify a second physical channel thatincludes a second UCI, as in block 520. The one or more processors canbe configured to select a priority level for the first physical channeland a priority level for the second physical channel, as in block 530.The one or more processors can be configured to apply power scaling to afirst physical channel transmission or a second physical channeltransmission if a total transmit power of the UE would exceed a specificvalue during a period of time, wherein: the UE is configured to scale atransmit power for the second physical channel if the priority level forthe first physical channel is higher than the priority level for thesecond physical channel depending on a type of first UCI and a type ofsecond UCI; or the UE is configured to scale a transmit power for thefirst physical channel if the priority level for the first physicalchannel is lower than the priority level for the second physical channeldepending on the type of first UCI and the type of second UCI, as inblock 540.

In one example, the one or more processors can be further configured toperform the first physical channel transmission in uplink for a servingcell belonging to a Master Cell Group (MCG). In another example, the oneor more processors can be further configured to perform the secondphysical channel transmission in uplink for a serving cell belonging toa Secondary Cell Group (SCG). In yet another example, the one or moreprocessors can be further configured to determine that the prioritylevel for the first physical channel that includes the first UCI ishigher than the priority level for the second physical channel thatincludes the second UCI if the first UCI includes a hybrid automaticrepeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) or a scheduling request (SR)and the second UCI includes channel state information (CSI).

In one example, the one or more processors can be further configured todetermine that the priority level for the first physical channel thatincludes the first UCI is lower than the priority level for the secondphysical channel that includes the second UCI if the first UCI includeschannel state information (CSI) and the second UCI includes a hybridautomatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) or a schedulingrequest (SR). In another example, the one or more processors can befurther configured to determine that the priority level for the firstphysical channel that includes the first UCI is higher than the prioritylevel for the second physical channel that includes the second UCI,wherein: the first UCI and the second UCI both include a hybridautomatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK); or the first UCIand the second UCI both include a scheduling request (SR); or the firstUCI and the second UCI both include channel state information (CSI).

In one example, the one or more processors can be further configured todetermine that the priority level for the first physical channel thatincludes the first UCI is higher than the priority level for the secondphysical channel that includes the second UCI, wherein: the first UCIincludes a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK)and the second UCI includes a scheduling request (SR); or the first UCIincludes a SR and the second UCI includes a HARQ-ACK. In anotherexample, the specific value is configured as a maximum transmit power(P_(CMAX)) such that the total transmit power for the first physicalchannel and the second physical channel shall not exceed the specificvalue on an overlapping time period. In yet another example, the firstphysical channel is a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or afirst Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); and the second physicalchannel is a second PUCCH or a second PUSCH. In addition, the UE caninclude an antenna, a touch sensitive display screen, a speaker, amicrophone, a graphics processor, an application processor, an internalmemory, or a non-volatile memory port.

Another example provides functionality 600 of a user equipment (UE)configured for dual connectivity, as shown in the flow chart in FIG. 6.The functionality can be implemented as a method or the functionalitycan be executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions areincluded on at least one computer readable medium or one non-transitorymachine readable storage medium. One or more processors of the UE can beconfigured to identify a physical random access channel (PRACH) of aMaster Cell Group (MCG), as in block 610. The one or more processors canbe configured to identify a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) of aSecondary Cell Group (SCG), as in block 620. The one or more processorscan be configured to determine that a priority level for the PRACH ishigher than a priority level for the PUCCH, as in block 630. The one ormore processors can be configured to apply power scaling to PUCCHtransmissions if a total transmit power of the UE would exceed aspecific value during a period of time, as in block 640.

In one example, the one or more processors can be further configured to:transmit the PRACH on a primary cell (PCell) or a secondary cell (SCell)of the MCG; or transmit the PRACH on a secondary cell of the SCG. Inanother example, the one or more processors can be further configuredto: transmit the PUCCH on a primary cell (PCell) of the MCG; or transmitthe PUCCH on a special secondary cell (SCell) of the SCG. In yet anotherexample, the specific value can be configured as a maximum transmitpower (P_(CMAX)) such that the total transmit power for the PRACH andthe PUCCH shall not exceed the specific value on an overlapping timeperiod.

Another example provides functionality 700 of a user equipment (UE)configured for dual connectivity, as shown in the flow chart in FIG. 7.The functionality can be implemented as a method or the functionalitycan be executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions areincluded on at least one computer readable medium or one non-transitorymachine readable storage medium. One or more processors of the UE can beconfigured to identify a physical random access channel (PRACH) of aMaster Cell Group (MCG), as in block 710. The one or more processors canbe configured to identify a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) of aSecondary Cell Group (SCG), as in block 720. The one or more processorscan be configured to select a priority level for the PRACH and apriority level for the PUCCH, as in block 730. The one or moreprocessors can be configured to drop one of the PRACH or the PUCCH whenthe PRACH and the PUCCH are scheduled to be transmitted in anoverlapping time period and a total transmit power of the UE wouldexceed a specific value, wherein the PRACH or the PUCCH is dropped basedon the priority level for the PRACH relative to the priority level forthe PUCCH and a remaining PRACH or PUCCH is transmitted from the UE, asin block 740.

In one example, the one or more processors can be further configured to:transmit the PRACH to a primary cell (PCell) or a secondary cell (SCell)of the MCG; or transmit the PUCCH to a special secondary cell (SCell) ofthe SCG. In another example, the one or more processors can be furtherconfigured to: drop the PRACH when the priority level for the PRACH isless than the priority level for the PUCCH; or drop the PUCCH when thepriority level for the PRACH is greater than the priority level for thePUCCH. In yet another example, the specific value can be configured as amaximum transmit power (P_(CMAX)) such that the total transmit power forthe PRACH and the PUCCH shall not exceed the specific value on anoverlapping time period.

Another example provides functionality 800 of a user equipment (UE)configured for dual connectivity, as shown in the flow chart in FIG. 8.The functionality can be implemented as a method or the functionalitycan be executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions areincluded on at least one computer readable medium or one non-transitorymachine readable storage medium. One or more processors of the UE can beconfigured to identify a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)that includes a first uplink control information (UCI), as in block 810.The one or more processors can be configured to identify a secondphysical uplink control channel (PUCCH) that includes a second UCI, asin block 810. The one or more processors can be configured to select apriority level for the first PUCCH and a priority level for the secondPUCCH, as in block 820. The one or more processors can be configured toapply power scaling to the first PUCCH and the second PUCCH to enablethe first PUCCH and the second PUCCH to be transmitted from the UE in anoverlapping time period if a total transmit power of the UE would exceeda specific value during a period of time, wherein a transmit power forthe first PUCCH and a transmit power for the second PUCCH are scaledequally when the priority level for the first PUCCH is the same as thepriority level for the second PUCCH, as in block 830.

In one example, the one or more processors can be further configured totransmit the first PUCCH to a primary cell (PCell) of a Master CellGroup (MCG). In another example, the one or more processors can befurther configured to transmit the second PUCCH to a special secondarycell (SCell) of a Secondary Cell Group (SCG). In yet another example, atleast one of the first UCI or the second UCI includes a hybrid automaticrepeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) or a scheduling request (SR).In one configuration, least one of the first UCI or the second UCIincludes channel state information (CSI). In another configuration, thespecific value is configured as a maximum transmit power (P_(CMAX)) suchthat the total transmit power for the first PUCCH and the second PUCCHshall not exceed the specific value on an overlapping time period.

FIG. 9 provides an example illustration of the wireless device, such asa user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile wireless device,a mobile communication device, a tablet, a handset, or other type ofwireless device. The wireless device can include one or more antennasconfigured to communicate with a node or transmission station, such as abase station (BS), an evolved Node B (eNB), a baseband unit (BBU), aremote radio head (RRH), a remote radio equipment (RRE), a relay station(RS), a radio equipment (RE), a remote radio unit (RRU), a centralprocessing module (CPM), or other type of wireless wide area network(WWAN) access point. The wireless device can be configured tocommunicate using at least one wireless communication standard including3GPP LTE, WiMAX, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Bluetooth, and WiFi.The wireless device can communicate using separate antennas for eachwireless communication standard or shared antennas for multiple wirelesscommunication standards. The wireless device can communicate in awireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network(WPAN), and/or a WWAN.

FIG. 9 also provides an illustration of a microphone and one or morespeakers that can be used for audio input and output from the wirelessdevice. The display screen may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen,or other type of display screen such as an organic light emitting diode(OLED) display. The display screen can be configured as a touch screen.The touch screen may use capacitive, resistive, or another type of touchscreen technology. An application processor and a graphics processor canbe coupled to internal memory to provide processing and displaycapabilities. A non-volatile memory port can also be used to providedata input/output options to a user. The non-volatile memory port mayalso be used to expand the memory capabilities of the wireless device. Akeyboard may be integrated with the wireless device or wirelesslyconnected to the wireless device to provide additional user input. Avirtual keyboard may also be provided using the touch screen.

Various techniques, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take theform of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media,such as floppy diskettes, compact disc-read-only memory (CD-ROMs), harddrives, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, or any othermachine-readable storage medium wherein, when the program code is loadedinto and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomesan apparatus for practicing the various techniques. Circuitry caninclude hardware, firmware, program code, executable code, computerinstructions, and/or software. A non-transitory computer readablestorage medium can be a computer readable storage medium that does notinclude signal. In the case of program code execution on programmablecomputers, the computing device may include a processor, a storagemedium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatilememory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at leastone output device. The volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storageelements may be a random-access memory (RAM), erasable programmable readonly memory (EPROM), flash drive, optical drive, magnetic hard drive,solid state drive, or other medium for storing electronic data. The nodeand wireless device may also include a transceiver module (i.e.,transceiver), a counter module (i.e., counter), a processing module(i.e., processor), and/or a clock module (i.e., clock) or timer module(i.e., timer). One or more programs that may implement or utilize thevarious techniques described herein may use an application programminginterface (API), reusable controls, and the like. Such programs may beimplemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programminglanguage to communicate with a computer system. However, the program(s)may be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In anycase, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language, andcombined with hardware implementations.

As used herein, the term processor can include general purposeprocessors, specialized processors such as VLSI, FPGAs, or other typesof specialized processors, as well as base band processors used intransceivers to send, receive, and process wireless communications.

It should be understood that many of the functional units described inthis specification have been labeled as modules, in order to moreparticularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, amodule may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising customvery-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits or gate arrays,off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or otherdiscrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmablehardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by varioustypes of processors. An identified module of executable code may, forinstance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computerinstructions, which may, for instance, be organized as an object,procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identifiedmodule need not be physically located together, but may comprisedisparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joinedlogically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purposefor the module.

Indeed, a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or manyinstructions, and may even be distributed over several different codesegments, among different programs, and across several memory devices.Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated hereinwithin modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organizedwithin any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may becollected as a single data set, or may be distributed over differentlocations including over different storage devices, and may exist, atleast partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.The modules may be passive or active, including agents operable toperform desired functions.

Reference throughout this specification to “an example” or “exemplary”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the example is included in at least one embodiment ofthe present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in an example”or the word “exemplary” in various places throughout this specificationare not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositionalelements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list forconvenience. However, these lists should be construed as though eachmember of the list is individually identified as a separate and uniquemember. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as ade facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based ontheir presentation in a common group without indications to thecontrary. In addition, various embodiments and example of the presentinvention may be referred to herein along with alternatives for thevarious components thereof. It is understood that such embodiments,examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as defactoequivalents of one another, but are to be considered as separate andautonomous representations of the present invention.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In thefollowing description, numerous specific details are provided, such asexamples of layouts, distances, network examples, etc., to provide athorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled inthe relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can bepracticed without one or more of the specific details, or with othermethods, components, layouts, etc. In other instances, well-knownstructures, materials, or operations are not shown or described indetail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of thepresent invention in one or more particular applications, it will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerousmodifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be madewithout the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing fromthe principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is notintended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims setforth below.

What is claimed is:
 1. A user equipment (UE) configured for dualconnectivity, the UE having one or more processors configured to:identify a first physical channel that includes a first uplink controlinformation (UCI); identify a second physical channel that includes asecond UCI; select a priority level for the first physical channel and apriority level for the second physical channel; and apply power scalingto a first physical channel transmission or a second physical channeltransmission if a total transmit power of the UE would exceed a specificvalue during a period of time, wherein: the UE is configured to scale atransmit power for the second physical channel if the priority level forthe first physical channel is higher than the priority level for thesecond physical channel depending on a type of first UCI and a type ofsecond UCI; or the UE is configured to scale a transmit power for thefirst physical channel if the priority level for the first physicalchannel is lower than the priority level for the second physical channeldepending on the type of first UCI and the type of second UCI.
 2. The UEof claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured toperform the first physical channel transmission in uplink for a servingcell belonging to a Master Cell Group (MCG).
 3. The UE of claim 2,wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform thesecond physical channel transmission in uplink for a serving cellbelonging to a Secondary Cell Group (SCG).
 4. The UE of claim 3, whereinthe one or more processors are further configured to: determine that thepriority level for the first physical channel that includes the firstUCI is higher than the priority level for the second physical channelthat includes the second UCI if the first UCI includes a hybridautomatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) or a schedulingrequest (SR) and the second UCI includes channel state information(CSI).
 5. The UE of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors arefurther configured to: determine that the priority level for the firstphysical channel that includes the first UCI is lower than the prioritylevel for the second physical channel that includes the second UCI ifthe first UCI includes channel state information (CSI) and the secondUCI includes a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement(HARQ-ACK) or a scheduling request (SR).
 6. The UE of claim 3, whereinthe one or more processors are further configured to: determine that thepriority level for the first physical channel that includes the firstUCI is higher than the priority level for the second physical channelthat includes the second UCI, wherein: the first UCI and the second UCIboth include a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement(HARQ-ACK); or the first UCI and the second UCI both include ascheduling request (SR); or the first UCI and the second UCI bothinclude channel state information (CSI).
 7. The UE of claim 1, whereinthe one or more processors are further configured to: determine that thepriority level for the first physical channel that includes the firstUCI is higher than the priority level for the second physical channelthat includes the second UCI, wherein: the first UCI includes a hybridautomatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) and the second UCIincludes a scheduling request (SR); or the first UCI includes a SR andthe second UCI includes a HARQ-ACK.
 8. The UE of claim 1, wherein thespecific value is configured as a maximum transmit power (P_(CMAX)) suchthat the total transmit power for the first physical channel and thesecond physical channel shall not exceed the specific value on anoverlapping time period.
 9. The UE of claim 1, wherein: the firstphysical channel is a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or afirst Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); and the second physicalchannel is a second PUCCH or a second PUSCH.
 10. The UE of claim 1,wherein the UE includes an antenna, a touch sensitive display screen, aspeaker, a microphone, a graphics processor, an application processor,an internal memory, or a non-volatile memory port.
 11. A user equipment(UE) configured for dual connectivity, the UE having one or moreprocessors configured to: identify a physical random access channel(PRACH) of a Master Cell Group (MCG); identify a physical uplink controlchannel (PUCCH) of a Secondary Cell Group (SCG); determine that apriority level for the PRACH is higher than a priority level for thePUCCH; and apply power scaling to PUCCH transmissions if a totaltransmit power of the UE would exceed a specific value during a periodof time.
 12. The UE of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors arefurther configured to: transmit the PRACH on a primary cell (PCell) or asecondary cell (SCell) of the MCG; or transmit the PRACH on a secondarycell of the SCG.
 13. The UE of claim 11, wherein the one or moreprocessors are further configured to: transmit the PUCCH on a primarycell (PCell) of the MCG; or transmit the PUCCH on a special secondarycell (SCell) of the SCG.
 14. The UE of claim 11, wherein the specificvalue is configured as a maximum transmit power (P_(CMAX)) such that thetotal transmit power for the PRACH and the PUCCH shall not exceed thespecific value on an overlapping time period.
 15. A user equipment (UE)configured for dual connectivity, the UE having one or more processorsconfigured to: identify a physical random access channel (PRACH) of aMaster Cell Group (MCG); identify a physical uplink control channel(PUCCH) of a Secondary Cell Group (SCG); select a priority level for thePRACH and a priority level for the PUCCH; and drop one of the PRACH orthe PUCCH when the PRACH and the PUCCH are scheduled to be transmittedin an overlapping time period and a total transmit power of the UE wouldexceed a specific value, wherein the PRACH or the PUCCH is dropped basedon the priority level for the PRACH relative to the priority level forthe PUCCH and a remaining PRACH or PUCCH is transmitted from the UE. 16.The UE of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are furtherconfigured to: transmit the PRACH to a primary cell (PCell) or asecondary cell (SCell) of the MCG; or transmit the PUCCH to a specialsecondary cell (SCell) of the SCG.
 17. The UE of claim 15, wherein theone or more processors are further configured to: drop the PRACH whenthe priority level for the PRACH is less than the priority level for thePUCCH; or drop the PUCCH when the priority level for the PRACH isgreater than the priority level for the PUCCH.
 18. The UE of claim 15,wherein the specific value is configured as a maximum transmit power(P_(CMAX)) such that the total transmit power for the PRACH and thePUCCH shall not exceed the specific value on an overlapping time period.